Black pepper gnocchi – recipe from a conversation with chef Ian Stabler

RSJ in early autumn sunshine

Black pepper gnocchi
Ingredients
250 g King Edward potatoes
salt
cracked black pepper
grated parmesan
chopped chives and parsley
75 g of ‘OO’ pasta flour

Method
Make plain mashed potatoes with no milk or butter.
Incorporate rest of the ingredients with the mashed potato in the order listed. Work together to form a sticky round ball.
Roll ball out into long sausage – you’ll probably make several. Cut into 25cm lengths.
Poach these in boiling salted water. As soon as the gnocchi rise to the surface scoop them out. This normally takes around four to five minutes. Depending on the size of your pan you may well want to do this in batches.

Set gnocchi aside. They will keep in a fridge for up to two days.

Ingredients for finished dish

Parmesan velouté
Ingredients:
25 g shallot
knob of butter
125 ml white wine
35 ml vermouth (preferably Noilly Prat)
125 ml vegetable stock
250 ml double cream
75 g (approx) parmesan

Warming the finished dish

Method
Sweat the shallots in a knob of butter
Add the white wine and reduce by at least half until it becomes quite sticky without being reduced to a sticky mass.
Add vermouth and reduce similarly
Add vegetable and reduce similarly
Add double cream and bring to the boil and reduce slightly
Add parmesan – approx 75 g but to taste

Finished dish

To serve – accompaniment to roast lemon sole (per portion)
Quarter 2-3 vine cherry tomatoes
Bring velouté sauce to boil add tomatoes over high heat, then cooked broccoli florets, warm thoroughly
Reheat gnocchi in boiling water – remove as they rise to surface. Gnocchi can be reheated in sauce but Ian recommends that separately in boiling water is better.
In dish combine gnocchi, vegetables and velouté sauce. Sprinkle over cracked pepper and parmesan. Serve immediately.

Ian and the gnocchi dish